Cooking appliance for meat and buns

Abstract

An electric appliance, for cooking meat and buns simultaneously, has chambers for holding the meat and buns vertically, heating the meat on both sides and heating the bun on at least one side. The meat may be contained in a novel cage. The bun chamber may have one or two perforated plates for controlling the amount of radiant heat from impinging on the bun, thus affecting whether the bun is warmed or toasted.

We claim: 
     
       1. A cooking appliance for simultaneously heating at least one bread portion and at least one substantially flat food portion, said cooking appliance comprising: (a) at least one food chamber, where each chamber is for containing a flat two-sided food portion in a vertical position;   (b) first electric element means for heating both sides of the food portion in each food chamber;   (c) at least one bread chamber for containing a bread portion in a vertical position;   (d) second electric element means for heating at least one vertical surface of the bread portion;   (e) food support means for supporting the food portion in the food chamber in a position adjacent the first electric element means to allow heat from the first element means to impinge on the sides of the food portion; and   (f) bread support means for supporting the bread portion in the bread chamber in a position adjacent the second element means to allow heat from the second element means to impinge on the vertical surfaces of the bread portions.   
     
     
       2. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 wherein the food support means and the bread support means comprise an elevator which may travel between raised and lowered positions, said lower position allowing the food and bread portions to be fully contained in their respective chambers while being exposed to the heat, and the upper position allowing part of the food and bread portions to extend above their respective chambers. 
     
     
       3. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 wherein the food support means comprises a removable cage for holding the flat food in the food chamber and the bread support means comprises an elevator which may travel between raised and lowered positions, said lower position allowing the bread portion to be fully contained in the bread chamber while being exposed to the heat, and the upper position allowing part of the bread portion to extend above the bread chamber. 
     
     
       4. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 wherein there is a metal plate between the second electric element means and the bread portion. 
     
     
       5. A cooking appliance according to claim 2 wherein supplementary support means for the food chamber is a removable cage for holding the food. 
     
     
       6. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 additionally comprising: (g) an elevator control means for manipulating the elevator to the lower position, for temporarily locking the elevator in the lower position; unlocking means to release the elevator from its temporarily locked lower position, and return biasing means for urging the elevator to its upper position;   (h) electrical control means for allowing electric current to heat at least the first element means when the elevator is in its locked lower position, and for allowing electric current to heat the second element means when the elevator is in its locked lower position;   (h) double timer means, i) for controlling a first length of time when electric current is heating at least the first element means, and for releasing the elevator from its locked position, and ii) for controlling a second length of time, separate from the first length of time, when electric current is heating the first and second element means, and for releasing the elevator from its locked position.   
     
     
       7. A cooking appliance according to claim 6 wherein the timer has adjusting means for controlling the first and second lengths of time. 
     
     
       8. A cooking appliance according to claim 7 wherein the electrical control means and the double timer means allow the first and second element means to be heated during the first and second lengths of time. 
     
     
       9. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 wherein there are two plates, in face to face contact, each with perforations therein, said plates being placed between the second electric element means and the bread portion; and wherein there is control means for moving one of the plates relative to the other plate so that in a first position, perforations in both plates are in register and perforations in one plate are aligned and correspond to perforations in the other plate, and in a second position the perforations in both plates are not in register. 
     
     
       10. A cooking appliance for heating a food portion, said cooking appliance comprising: a) at least one chamber for containing a food portion;   b) heating means for heating at least one side of the food portion;   c) two plates, in face to face contact, each with perforations therein, said plates being placed between the heating means and the food portion; and   d) control means for moving one of the plates relative to the other plate so that in a first position, perforations in both plates are in register and perforations in one plate are aligned and correspond to perforations in the other plate, and in a second position the perforations in both plates are not in register and perforations in one plate are not aligned and do not correspond to perforations in the other plate.   
     
     
       11. A removable cooking cage for holding food in a heating chamber of a cooking appliance, wherein the cage has a floor member with two longitudinal edges and a width between said longitudinal edges, a first and a second wall member, each wall member having first and second ends; the first ends of each wall member being hingedly attached to a longitudinal edge of the floor member, and the second ends of each wall member being able to be temporarily joined to one another with at least one releasable fastener; said wall members being shaped so that when both wall members are temporarily joined on one side of a plane through the width of the floor member, the distance between portions of the wall members is greater than the width of the floor member, and when both wall members are temporarily joined on the opposing side of the plane through the width of the floor member, the distance between said portions of the wall members in less than the width of the floor member; the wall members also being constructed to allow heat to reach food when the food is trapped between the wall members. 
     
     
       12. A cooking cage according to claim 11 wherein the walls are bowed. 
     
     
       13. A cooking cage according to claim 11 wherein a portion of each wall, adjacent to the hinge is at an angle relative to a plane through the remaining portion of each wall. 
     
     
       14. A cooking cage according to claim 11 wherein the second ends of the wall have releasable fasteners for temporarily joining said second ends. 
     
     
       15. A cooking cage according to claim 11 wherein the walls comprise a wire frame with wire cross-members.